Author: Joan Royo Gual

The Jequitinhonha River Valley in Brazil, once infamous for poverty, is now a hotspot for lithium mining, dubbed “white oil.” This shift has brought hope and excitement to the region, but also raised concerns about environmental impact. Large piles of waste from Sigma Lithium’s lithium extraction have become part of the landscape in the Poço Dantas community near the city of Araçuaí, in Brazil. Leonardo Carrato The region’s economic boom due to lithium has led to a surge in jobs and economic growth, but it has also impacted the environment and local communities negatively. While the promise of economic development…